Artaxerxes I (d. 424 B.C.) was the fifth king of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. His title “Longimanus” (Latin for “long-handed”) was given due to one hand being notably longer than the other. Biblically, he is a figure of immense significance, as his reign spanned many decades and featured decrees that enabled the restoration of the Jewish community and their capital city, Jerusalem.
He was the son of Xerxes I (often identified as the King Ahasuerus of the Book of Esther), and he reigned from 465 to 424 B.C.
1. The Patron of Ezra and Nehemiah
Artaxerxes I is the reigning Persian King during the central events recorded in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. His decrees were instrumental in fulfilling prophecies concerning the return of the Jewish people to their land.
The Commission of Ezra
In the seventh year of his reign (circa 458 B.C.), Artaxerxes issued a decree that authorized the priest and scribe Ezra to lead a large group of exiles back to Judah. This decree granted Ezra sweeping authority to establish religious and civil law in the province.
Ezra 7:12-13 records the king’s mandate:
“Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and so forth. I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of the priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee;” (KJV, emphasis added).
The king further provided Ezra with silver, gold, and vessels for the Temple service, demonstrating the Persian crown’s financial and legal support for the Jewish restoration.
The Commission of Nehemiah
Later, in the twentieth year of his reign (circa 445 B.C.), Artaxerxes granted permission to his cupbearer, Nehemiah, to travel to Jerusalem and rebuild its walls, which were still lying in ruins.
Nehemiah 2:1 notes the setting:
“And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king…” (KJV, emphasis added).
The king granted Nehemiah letters of passage and letters to the keeper of the king’s forest for timber to rebuild the city gates and wall. This decree was the crucial legal authorization for the political restoration of Jerusalem.
2. The Prophetic Significance
Artaxerxes’ decree concerning the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls holds profound significance in biblical prophecy, particularly in the book of Daniel.
The prophecy of the Seventy Weeks in Daniel 9 is one of the most detailed time prophecies in scripture. Daniel was told that the prophetic period would begin “from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem.”
This commandment is widely understood by conservative scholars to be the decree given to Nehemiah by Artaxerxes in his twentieth year (445 B.C.). The specific starting date is critical for calculating the time period leading to the Messiah.
3. Artaxerxes in the Book of Esther
Some biblical scholars also identify Artaxerxes I with the Ahasuerus of the Book of Esther, though the traditional and more widely accepted view identifies Ahasuerus as Artaxerxes’ father, Xerxes I. However, there is strong historical evidence placing the events of Ezra and Nehemiah under the reign of Artaxerxes I, firmly establishing him as a crucial figure in the post-exilic history of Israel.
In conclusion, Artaxerxes Longimanus is a key figure whose decrees, whether driven by political strategy or royal benevolence, acted as a providential catalyst. He served as the Gentile sovereign used by the Lord to ensure the physical and spiritual rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple, thereby laying the groundwork for the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies.